About Great Yards:

Great Yards Landscaping predominantly services the Upper North Shore/Northern Beaches area and Gavin currently has two subcontractors on his team. 50% of the work is ongoing maintenance, and 50% is new construction/landscaping projects.

About Gavin: 

After Gavin left school he did a pattern making engineer trade. While he enjoyed the trade (and learned a lot from it) he didn’t particularly enjoy the warehouse/factory environments. He realised he preferred to work outside.

He then worked in sales for 13 years, selling surfboards, suits and cars, before working as a media rep selling advertising. While in between sales jobs, Gavin’s father in law asked him to try his hand at re-landscaping his front garden.

While Gavin had no idea about plants, and no learned skills in landscaping, he agreed to do the work and thoroughly enjoyed it. His father in law – and a number of neighbours – all commented that Gavin had done a great job, and Gavin decided that he wanted to be a landscaper.

While still working in sales, Gavin studied for his Horticulture Certificate, buying and building the ‘Great Yards’ business while still the last year of his course. He loves being a landscaper and says that even though he’s not a pattern making engineer, the skills he learned in his first trade have undoubtedly helped him with Great Yards, particularly when is comes to building water features and timber work.

He absolutely believes in the value of a trade and says that while he worked in sales potential employers were consistently impressed that he’d finished a trade as it proved his commitment and ability to learn. His friends are envious of his new lifestyle, but Gavin is philosophical about his new life.

Gavin truly believes that anyone can do what he has, you just need to be willing to realise and follow your passion and your talents.